My First Spurs Christmas | 2024 arrivals on their festive traditions

As first seen in Sunday’s official matchday programme, it’s the return of our annual feature where we speak to some of our new signings from the last calendar year to find out what’s traditional for them at Christmas and hear their memories of festive seasons gone by...

Radu Dragusin

Hometown: Bucharest, Romania
Joined Spurs: January, 2024, from Genoa

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“It was a remote-controlled car. My earliest memory, probably from when I was six or seven years old, is being at home with my parents and Santa would bring presents, but you had to sing a song to him first – just a little song with a few lyrics and he would give you your gifts.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“Santa Claus is called Moș Crăciun, which means ‘Old man Christmas’. We celebrate and give gifts on the evening of the 24th, then on the 25th we all have lunch with traditional Romanian food called Sarmale, which is basically a sour cabbage roll filled with rice, ground beef and other ingredients.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“This year we are going to be training because we are going to play on the 26th. I will probably spend a couple of hours with some members of my family who will come here to London and then go to the training ground.”

Lucas Bergvall

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Joined Spurs: July, 2024, from Djurgarden

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“It was a Sweden shirt. I have good memories of getting football kits when I was younger.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“Just being at home with all the relatives. My earliest memory is when I was maybe five years old – it was snowing and I remember it was really cold, maybe minus 10 degrees. In Sweden we eat meatballs, potatoes, sausages and fish.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“Probably celebrate with my family – my two brothers, my mum and dad – as they are coming over to London. I’ve never had to play and train at Christmas before because in Sweden we play over the calendar year, so usually I have holidays at this time. I went to Mauritius last year.”

Anna Csiki

Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
Joined Spurs: September, 2024, from BK Hacken

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“I will never forget this moment one year when we had a large Christmas tree and underneath there was a huge box. I was sure it was for me. Inside it was a table ice hockey set – similar to table football, but with ice hockey. That was my best Christmas gift.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“My whole family spends Christmas together – all my cousins and grandparents are there. One time when I was about four or five years old, on the morning of the 24th when I woke up there was snow everywhere, so it was like a real white Christmas. We all go to church on the morning of the 24th, the whole family has lunch together, then around 5pm or 6pm we start decorating the Christmas tree – in Hungary, we don’t decorate it before the 24th. After that, we all sing together at the Christmas tree and then give presents to each other. A lot of Hungarian families eat fish for Christmas or there is another food called Töltött Káposzta, which is stuffed cabbage.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“On Christmas Eve we will go to church together, decorate the Christmas tree, probably play some board games in the evening and just eat good food and be around each other.”

Timo Werner

Hometown: Stuttgart, Germany
Joined Spurs: January, 2024, on loan from RB Leipzig

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“It was a Carrera Go electric slot car track where the cars go around on the metal strip and you control it from your hand with a plastic trigger.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“I can remember back as far as when I was four or five years old and to be honest it’s just the whole family celebrating together in Stuttgart. A lot of families eat sausages for Christmas dinner, often with potatoes, sometimes mashed. You tend to all get together and be around each other on the 24th – we don’t really do much on the 25th.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“Be with family and then we have a game on Boxing Day so I will prepare for that.”

Wilson Odobert

Hometown: Meaux, France
Joined Spurs: August, 2024, from Burnley

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“I remember getting a bike when I was about eight years old. It was a blue BMX. I remember riding it around at home when I received it!”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“Just to be with family. I have a sister and we would always be together at home with our family when we were growing up. We celebrated on the night of the 24th when I was a kid but now I celebrate more on the 25th. There are different traditional foods in France but for me it’s similar to here in England – turkey with some potatoes and cake for dessert.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“Hopefully see some family members and continue to work on my rehab.”

Archie Gray

Hometown: Durham, England
Joined Spurs: July, 2024, from Leeds United

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“Probably a bike when I was really young. It was a green one.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“Just being at the family home – me, my brothers, my mum and dad – and being all together on Christmas Eve. In terms of the traditional Christmas dinner, for us it’s pigs in blankets, turkey or chicken – I don’t really mind which – along with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, cauliflower cheese... I love all of it!”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“Open some presents and prepare for the game against Forest on Boxing Day. From a young age, since I was 14, I’ve always been in for training on Christmas Day but it’s part of the job and that’s fine. Even when I was that age I enjoyed coming in and I still enjoy it.”

Clare Hunt

Hometown: Grenfell, Australia
Joined Spurs: August, 2024, from Paris Saint-Germain

What was your most memorable Christmas gift as a child?
“Probably football boots, or maybe a football jersey.”

What’s traditional at Christmas at home for you?
“Sometimes it’s croissants for breakfast, then we have a big roast dinner, similar to this country. We all just celebrate together with our families. In Australia, because it’s warm at this time of year we have prawns with our Christmas dinner. There are six or seven different types of salad, lots of vegetables, lots of meats, cold ham, a roast, some form of seafood… all sorts, really.”

What will you do on Christmas Day?
“Spend time with my family at my grandad’s house. We go there every year, normally on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, then head home. I feel like I associate Christmas with being there. All my extended family are around, we open gifts, spend time together and just have a big Christmas lunch. It’ll be lovely – I can’t wait!”